Driving mechanism for straight-knitting machines



April 6 1926. 1,579,861

M. EISENSCHIML DRIVING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES FiledApril 26, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 6, 1926. 1,579,861

M. EISENSCHIML DRIVING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES FiledApril 26 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet .2

April 6 1926. 1,579,861

M. EISENSCHIML DRIVING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES FiledApril 26, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES MAX EISENSCHIML, OF ASCH, GZECHOSLOVAKIA.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR STRAIGHT-KNITTING MACHINES.

Application'filed April 26, 1923. Serial No. 634,91 1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, -MAX ErsmvsoI-nML, a

citizen of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, and resident of Asch,Czechoslovakia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDriving Mechanism for Straight- Knitting Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates to a driving mechanism for straightknitting machines and has for its object to convert a hand drivenknitting machine of such kind into a motor driven machine, at the sametime to enable the said mechanism to be applied to a machine of suchkind without difficulty, whether the machine is mounted on a frame orstand or on a table, and to adapt the apparatus operatingthe carriageof, the ma.- chine to any stroke i. e. to any width of the straightknitting machine.

For such purpose the unitary driving mechanism comprising an elementadapted to stop the machine not only after a predetermined number ofrevolutions of. the driving shaft but also. in the event that theknitting thread breaks or exhausts, is com: bined with an endless memberpreferably a chain operated by the said driving shaft, means beingprovided adapted to be reciprocated by the endless member and furthermeans, whereby the carriage of the knitting machine will be engaged bythe first named means and disengaged from the same.

Another feature of the invention consists in the provision of means toad ust the second named means according to the stroke of the carriage ofthe knitting machine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forminga part ofthisspecification Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the unitary drivingmechanism and Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section. Fig. 3 is afront elevation ofthe chain gear. Fig. 4 a "plan view of the same.

' Fig. 5 is a cross section'and'Fig. 6 is a detail elevation partly insection. c

The frame 1 of the additional unitary mechanism is secured as shown at 2to the supporting frame 3 of the well known straight knitting machine,which being heretofore driven by hand is now converted into I a motordriven machine. The frame 1 sup ports in suitable bearings 4 the drivingshaft 5, on which is loosely mounted a driving pulley 6 which may bedriven by a belt or the like from a source of power not shown.

The hub 8 of the pulley'6 forms theright hand or fixed portion of anordinaryclaw left hand or a clutch, the movable portion of.

which is formed by a collar 9 which can be ioved along the shaft 5 butwill be revolved therewith by a. key 7. A spring 10 tends to move thecollar 9 into engagement with the hub 8. On the c'ollar'9 is looselymounted a toothed or ratchet wheel 11, which is provided at one sidewith teeth 12 having sloping faces which are engaged by pins-l3 of thecollar 9. Normally the wheel 11 revolves withthe collar, the latterengaging the hub 8. "If the wheel is to be checked by a pawl 20 inthemanner hereinafter described the pins 13, owing to the fact that thecollar 9 is continually revolved by i spring pawllfcngaging a flange '15of the collar 9. q A handle. 16 enables the pawl let tobe released, sothat the collar 9, constituting the movable clutch portion will be movedin engagement with the hub 8 constituting the fixed clutch portion bythe spring 10.

The wheel ll'may be checked by a pawl 20 the rear arm Qlof whichprojects under a' lug 22 of a lever 23. Said lug, is cam shaped at itslower edge and provided there at with two cam portions arranged indifferent. levels. The lever 23 is connectedby a wire24 or the like withthe known thread guard (not shown). If a knitting thread breaks orexhausts the said thread guard by means of the wire 2& moves the lever23 towards the'left, wherebythe armQl is alprovided. A known ratchetdevice 26 causes the pattern chain to be stepped at each'revolution ofthe shaft 5, a retaining pawl 27 preventing the return movement. On thepattern chain 25 one or more buttons 28 may be secured, the positions ofwhich correspond-tothe points at which the pattern changes. Said button28 acts upon a bell The Y collar 9 is held in disengaged'position by acrank lever 29 which in turn forces the lug 22 and the lever 23 to theleft, so that the clutch (8, 9) will be released as hereinbeforedescribed.

l 'he driving shaft 5 transmits its motion as by means of chain wheels30, 32 and chain 31 to a shaft 33 mounted in a suitable bearing of aframe 34, which is mounted at the rear side of the knitting machine, ofwhich theangular support of its carriage is illustrated, so that thelatter may for the sake of discussion represent the carriage it self.The shaft 33 drives a chain gear which serves for reciprocating thecarriage. Said chain gear comprises a chain wheel 36 secured to theshaft 38, av chain wheel 37 secured to a shaft 38 which is mounted inthe frame 34 and an endless chain 39. The chain 39 causes the carriage'35 of the knitting machine to be reciprocated in the same manner as hasbeen effected hitherto by the well known crank mechanism.

Since the said chain gear has only reduced height, it may be mounteddirectly upon the table supporting the entire knitting machine even whenthe carriage performs the largest stroke. This would be impossible withcrank mechanism because the crank would be too long.

The frame 34 carries guiding rods 40 and 41, on which a slide 4:2 may bereciprocated in a path being parallel to that of the carriage. The chain39 traversing the slide is provided with a single pin43 which engagestwo vertical iron bars 44 slidably arranged and held in the slide. Saidbars 44 move the slide and distribute the pull exerted by the chain sothat jamming of the slide on the guiding rods 40, 41 will be prevented.

The slide or traveler 42 is providedwit-h a drag bolt 45, which isguided in a vertical direction, a spring 46 tending to move the dragbolt downwards. The bolt 45 being moved by the slide performs a strokewhich exceeds the stroke, of the carriage in both directions. The head47 of the angu-- lar support 35 firmly secured to the carriage isbevelled ofi at both sides as at 48 and is provided therebetween with ahole 49. The bolt moving towards the head 47 rises along the sloped orbevelled portion 48- and then enters the hole 49, whereby the carriagewill be dragged. Before the carriage arrives at the end of its strokethe bolt 45 will be lifted and; drawn out of the hole 49 so that thecarriage comes at rest at the end of its stroke, whereas the slide 42and bolt continue theirtravel in the same direction and then return inthe opposite direction. 1

The bolt 45 will be released in the following manner:

The frame 34 supports at its top two rails 50' and 51 between which theupper end of the bolt projects beyond such rails. In

the said end a trausversal pin is slidablv mounted, so that it can bemoved lengthwise or at right angle to the bolt. In one of the twopositions the pin 52 slides only with one of its ends (niche of therails (for example on 50) and in theother position only with the otherend on the second rail (51). On the said rails 50, 51 brackets 53, 54respectively are slidably and adjustably mounted, and each of saidbrackets carries a ram 56 respectively and a curved spring plate 5?, 58respectively.

it will be assumed that the pin 52 of the bolt 45 runs upon the rail 50.If now said pin rises to the summit of the cam 55 the holtQlfi will be'aised and then being lifted clear of the hole the carriage (85} will bestopped. The bolt continues its travel in the sai'ne direction, wherebythe end 'of the pin 52 will be forced inwards by the spring plate 57, sothat said pin will he moved into the reversed position. In the latterposition the pin slides on the other rail 51 until it reaches the othercam 56 and then the described operation repeats at the other side of theframe 1. As seen the distance between the two cams and 58 corresponds tothe stroke of the carriage, and by changing the positions of thebrackets or cams 55, 56, i. e. by moving the brackets along the rails orby reducing or increasing the distance between the two cams the chaingear may be adjusted according to any width of the knitting machine orto every stroke of the carriage.

In addition'to the advai itages above specified the chain gear allowsthat for changing the adjustment only the bracketshii, 54 are to beshifted along the rails 50, 51, whereupon said brackets will be securedin their new positions as by means of a set screw 59, but the operationsof separating and 0011- necting two elements (crank and connecting rod)as hitherto practised will be dispensed with.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a driving system :a' unitary driving mechanism for converting ahand driven straight knitting machine with rectilinearly movablecarriage into a motor driven one, said mechanism comprising a drivingshaft, a clutch between the drivingshaft and the carriage of theknitting machine, means comprising an element-which after a predeter-'mined number of revolutions of the machine or in the event of a threadrupture will be checked, so as to cause the clutch to, be thrown out ofmesh, an endless chain actuated. by the said driving shaft, meansadaptedto be re'ciprocat'ed by the chain, means whereby the carriage of theknitting machine will be engaged by the said reciprocated means anddisengaged therefrom.

2-, In a driving system a unitary driving mechanism for converting ahand driven straight knitting machine with rectilinearly movablecarriage into a motor driven one, said mechanism comprising a drivingshaft, a clutch between the driving shaft and the carriage of theknitting machine, an element for throwing said clutch out of mesh, aftera predetermined number of revolutions of the machine, or if a knittingthread breaks an endless chain actuated by the said driving shaft, atraveller being moved by the chain and guideson rails parallel to thepath of carriage of the machine, a drag bolt on the traveller which boltis adapted to engage the carriage and means to disengage the drag boltfrom the carriage.

S. In a driving system a unitary driving mechanism for converting a handdriven straight knitting machine with rectilinearly'i movable carriageinto a motor driven one, said mechanism comprising a driving shaft, aclutch between the driving shaft and the carriage of the knittingmachine, an element for throwing said clutch out of mesh, an endlesschain actuated by the said driving shaft, a traveller being moved by thechain and guided on rails parallel to the path of carriage of themachine, a drag bolt in the traveller, which bolt is adapted to engagethe carriage and having a transverse pin shiftably mounted in the bolt,a bracket at each end of the carriage stroke, each of said bracketsbeing provided With a cam adapted to disengage the bolt from thecarriage, and a curved plate adapted to shift the said pinlongitudinally, said brackets being mounted adjustablv on fixed railsfor the purpose of enabling the stroke of the carriage tobe'advided withsloped faces at both'its ends and with a hole therebetween, a travellerbeing reciprocated by the endless chain, a spring urged drag bolt on thetraveller capable of entering the said hole, adjustable brackets eachprovided with a cam for lifting the said drag bolt so as to be clear ofthe said hole and with a curved plate, a transversal pin mounted in thedrag bolt and capable of being shifted lengthwise by the said curvedplate for the purpose of enabling the drag bolt to cooperate with thecam at the opposite side of the machine.

In a knitting machine with a rectilinearly reciprocated carriage, adriving shaft, an endless chain, a head 011 the car- I riage providedwith sloped faces at both its ends and with a hole therebetween, a slidebeing reciprocated by the endless chain, a spring urged drag bolt on theslide capable to enter'the said hole, adjustable brackets each providedwith a cam for lifting the saiddrag bolt so as to be clear of the saidhole and with a curved'plate, a transversal pin mounted inthe drag boltand capable to be shifted lengthwise by the said curved plate for thepurpose of enabling th-edrag bolt to cooperate with the cam at theopposite side of the machine.

In testimony whereof I affix my signaure.

' YMAX EISENSC-HIML.

